Step 2: Identify Format

For this step, you’ll want to identify the format of the open textbook you’d like to modify. All books in the Open Textbook Library are available in at least one portable format (PDF, EPUB, or MOBI). Textbooks may also be available online (HTML) and via platforms such as Pressbooks or OpenStax CNX.

The PDF Reality

It’s common for open textbooks to be available only in PDF. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to make major changes to a PDF, so you may want to look for a different file type. Here are some possibilities:

Use the publisher link (included in the Open Textbook Library) to look for source files.

Search GitHub for other file formats (computer science and mathematics textbooks often have original files available on GitHub).